Rosie O’Donnell is opening up about the “hard” experience of visiting her daughter in prison.
The comedian, 64, penned a poem published June 12 on Substack titled “before and after,” in which she wrote about going to see her daughter Chelsea O’Donnell behind bars. The 28-year-old was sentenced to prison time last year after violating the terms of her probation following a string of arrests.
“I’m going to visit her soon,” O’Donnell wrote in her poem. “I have tried to prepare myself. I know it will be difficult. But I must. As she asked me to. A first for her at 28 years old. I can do hard things. And so can she.”
Rosie O’Donnell attends the Tony Awards on June 7, 2026, in New York City.
O’Donnell noted that she told her daughter she “may cry when I see her” in prison clothes, but Chelsea responded, “Why mom − it’s not bad in here − I have friends now.” During the visit, the comedian recounted her heart skipping a beat when Chelsea came out, looking “healthy” and “calm.” The pair embraced and held each other “tight,” she said.
“I go splash cold water on my face as tears drop from my eyes,” she wrote. “I try to shake the sadness. It’s hard enough for her … she turns 29 this summer. And all I see when I look at her is a blonde baby in diapers.”
Rosie O’Donnell: The comedian shares heartfelt message as daughter Chelsea faces prison
The former talk show host went on to write that her daughter is “somehow not suffering” and calls her every day. “We have gotten closer thru these tense times, and I’m grateful for that,” she wrote. “That she’s alive. Looking forward to her release. Planning her post prison journey. Drug free.”
The prison visit was cut short by a tornado touching down nearby, but O’Donnell concluded it was a “big day” for the two of them, and an example of the “unconditional love” between a mother and daughter. On Instagram, she shared the poem along with a photo of her with her daughter.
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Chelsea O’Donnell, whom Rosie shares with her ex-wife Kelli Carpenter, was arrested three times in 2024 on charges that included maintaining an alleged “drug trafficking place,” neglecting a child, domestic abuse and possessing methamphetamine, THC, drug paraphernalia and an illegally obtained prescription. After her daughter’s third arrest, Rosie wrote on Instagram that Chelsea was “facing many charges related to her drug addiction.”
Chelsea O’Donnell later pleaded guilty to bail jumping, possessing methamphetamine and resisting or obstructing an officer, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Rosie O’Donnell attends the Elle Women in Hollywood celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles on Nov. 19, 2024.
Rosie O’Donnell previously shared a childhood photo of Chelsea on Instagram last year and wrote that the picture showed her “before addiction took over her life.” She added, “I loved her then I love her now as she faces a scary future − prayers welcomed.”
Chelsea has four children of her own, although according to Rosie’s poem, they have not visitedher in prison, “which pains her I know.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental and/or substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free and confidential treatment referral and information service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It’s available 24/7 in English and Spanish (TTY: 1-800-487-4889).
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and KiMi Robinson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rosie O’Donnell opens up about visiting daughter Chelsea in prison
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